Serbia: Jelisaveta Načić

Born in 1878 in Belgrade, Serbia, Jelisaveta Načić is considered the first professional woman architect in Serbia. She held a diploma in architecture from the University of Belgrade in Belgrade, Serbia, becoming the first woman to graduate from the School of Architecture (1900). After graduation, she worked as an intern for the Ministry of Construction, and passed her state license exams (1902). However, Načić experienced challenges with advancing her career because obtaining certain government positions required military service, including civil servant positions in the Ministry of Construction, and women were not permitted to serve in the military. She eventually obtained a position working for the Municipality of Belgrade, rising through the ranks to become the first Chief Architect of Belgrade. She was also a member of the Serbian Association of Engineers and Architects.

During World War I, Načić was imprisoned in Nagymegyer in the Kingdom of Hungary. She met Luka Lukaj, an Albanian prisoner who would become her husband. After being released from imprisonment, they relocated to Shkodër, Albania, then Dubrovnik, Croatia. Načić did not continue her work as an architect after her release. In honor of her career, she was featured in the “Exceptional Women of Serbia” project, in which Andrej Josifovski (Pijanista) painted mural portraits of selected women throughout Serbia (2023); her portrait is located in Belgrade on Kralja Petra Street. Načić died in 1955 in Dubrovnik.